BOSSES of a new international organisation for gifted children and teenagers based at Warwick University have been deluged with applications to join a summer school.

So many youngsters are interested in the university's International Gateway for Gifted Youth (IGGY) that organisers have brought forward the date of the first summer school by a year.

The decision was made after more than 2,000 young people contacted the university wanting to join the new organisation.

It will now be at the university in July and August this year instead of in 2009 as originally planned.

About 100 selected bright children and teenagers from Britain and around the world will take part in the two-week summer school.

Warwick University vice chancellor Nigel Thrift said: "We are thrilled with the level of interest that IGGY has generated and I am delighted that we have been able to accelerate our plans in order to respond to this demand.

"We are keen to work with partners to increase the range of opportunities that can be made available through IGGY and to ensure that access to IGGY is possible for students from all social backgrounds."

Warwick University deputy registrar Ken Sloan said: "Importantly IGGY will encourage a generation of the world's brightest and most creative young people to develop a genuinely international perspective on the things they learn and experience including the issues they face."

Britain's National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth used to be based at Warwick University. Bosses decided not to continue running it after ministers changed the way it was run.